THE Scott family’s stallion Gelvin Clover has passed away aged 26. The last Clover Hill-sired stallion in Ireland, he arrived at the Scott’s Mountcastle Farm in Donemana, Co Tyrone as a three-year-old.

His successful career spanned many years and included numerous Nations Cup Super League appearances for Ireland under Clem McMahon. As a young horse, Gelvin Clover won the six-year-old championship at the Dublin Horse Show and Balmoral, as well as the six and seven-year-old championship at Punchestown.

Internationally, he scaled many heights including five-star wins in Dublin and Hickstead and he won the international Grand Prix at Balmoral in 2003 and 2005.

David Scott said he was thriving and enjoying his retirement at home up until this week, when he was put to sleep. “Old age got him in the end. He was very healthy until recently and in the last two or three weeks of his life, he grew very old very quickly.

“Even that morning, he ate his feed and was eating hay all day and just went downhill in the evening so we didn’t want the horse to suffer,” he added.

Out of the Ginger Dick mare Culdearg, Gelvin Clover was bred in Co Mayo by Kieran Rowley. Among his most famous progeny is the Cheryl Broderick-bred Irish Sport Horse Super Chilled, who was campaigned up to 1.60m level by Kevin Babington.

He will be sadly missed from Mountcastle Farm where he resided for 23 years.

A full appreciation for the stallion will appear in next week’s paper.